Manassas, Virginia


Manassas, formerly Manassas Junction, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. The population was 42,772 at the 2020 Census. It is the county seat of Prince William County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. Manassas borders the independent city of Manassas Park. The Bureau of Economic Analysis includes both Manassas and Manassas Park with Prince William County for statistical purposes.
Manassas contains several historic sites dating from 1825 to 1914. Manassas surrounds the county courthouse, which is located on county property.
Manassas is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area and is in the Northern Virginia region.

History

In 1851, a post office and railroad stop servicing the Orange and Alexandria Railroad were established in the area then known as Tudor Hall, named for a nearby plantation home. Soon after, construction began on the Manassas Gap Railroad, which was planned to run westward from the O&A at Tudor Hall to the Shenandoah Valley, by way of Manassas Gap. By 1854, the MGRR was completed between Tudor Hall and Strasburg.
In the early 1860s, following the construction of the railroad junction, the village of Tudor Hall became known as Manassas Junction.
Although the first known reference to the word "Manassas" appeared in the form of "Manassas Run" on a 1737 land survey, the origin of the word itself is unknown. There is some evidence that it may have originated from a Jewish innkeeper named Manasseh in the Shenandoah Valley, but this is disputed by others who cite evidence that the word may be of Native American origin, possibly relating to Massanutten, or to the Manahoac people who once inhabited the area.
In July 1861, the First Battle of Bull Run—also known as the Battle of First Manassas —was fought nearby, the first major land battle of the American Civil War. Manassas commemorated its 150th anniversary on July 21–24, 2011.
The Second Battle of Bull Run was fought near Manassas on August 28–30, 1862. At that time, Manassas Junction was little more than a railroad crossing, but a strategic one, with rails leading to Richmond, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and the Shenandoah Valley. Despite these two Confederate victories, Manassas Junction was in Union hands for most of the war.
Following the war, the crossroads grew into the town of Manassas, which was incorporated in 1873. In 1894, Manassas was designated the county seat of Prince William County, replacing Brentsville.
Between July 16 and July 22, 1911, veterans from both sides of the war reunited in Manassas for a Peace Jubilee marking 50 years since the First Battle of Bull Run. On July 21, after meeting and shaking hands at Henry House Hill, they picnicked together on the former battlefield before re-uniting again at the then-fairly new Prince William County Courthouse to hear a speech by President William Howard Taft, commemorating the event.
In 1975, Manassas was incorporated as an independent city, and as per Virginia law, was separated from Prince William County.
Manassas is home to Annaburg, built in 1892 by Robert Portner as a summer home. It is believed to be one of the first homes in the United States to have mechanical air conditioning. Annaburg was purchased by the City of Manassas in July 2019 to be restored and preserved as a public park.
The Manassas Historic District; Liberia, a plantation house; the Manassas Water Tower; the Cannon Branch Fort; the Mayfield Fortification; the Manassas Industrial School for Colored Youth; and Annaburg are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

Manassas is mainly served by I-66, U.S. 29, Virginia State Route 234 Business and Virginia State Route 28.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, of which is land and is water.
Since its origin the city has been crossed by key transportation routes which have led to the area being incorporated into major developments such as Interstate 66 and major rail lines, and serving as the government center for Prince William County.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Manassas has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. Average monthly temperatures range from in January to in July. The local hardiness zone is 7a.

Demographics

2020 census

According to the census of 2020, the population of the City of Manassas was 42,772 which represented a 13.1% growth in population since the last census in 2010. The racial breakdown per the 2020 Census for the city is as follows:
  • 51.1% White
  • 14.2% Black
  • 7.8% Asian
  • 3.2% Native American
  • 24% Other
42.9% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino origin. This can be broken up ethnically as follows :
  • 9.9% Mexican
  • 1.1% Puerto Rican
  • 0.2% Cuban
  • 20.2% other Hispanic or Latino
The population density for the city is 3,782.1 people per square mile, and there are an estimated 13,103 housing units in the city with an average housing density of 1,310.3 per square mile. The greatest percentage of housing values of owner-occupied homes is $300,000 to $499,999, with a median owner-occupied housing value of $259,100. The city's highest period of growth was from 1980 to 1989, when 35% of the city's housing stock was constructed.
The ACS estimated median household income for the city in 2020 was $86,227. 36% of the population has a college degree. Almost as many people commute into the City of Manassas for work as out, with the majority of out commuters traveling to Fairfax and Prince William counties for their jobs. Unemployment in the city as of February 2022 was 2.5%, which was below that of the United States at 3.8%. Of the 21,221 working age residents, 20,620 were employed. City residents are primarily employed in Professional, Scientific and Technical Services, and Health Care and Social Assistance.
The ACS estimated mean travel time to work for the given population in 2021 was approximately 34.7 minutes. This travel time is about 25 percent higher than the figure for Virginia and about 1.3 times the figure for the entire United States.
Regarding the means of transportation to work:
  • 73% of individuals drive alone to work.
  • 12% carpool with others.
  • 4% use public transit.
  • 2% walk to work.
  • 8% work from home.

    Economy

The city's largest employer is Micron Technology. Headquartered in Boise, Idaho, this manufacturer of semiconductors operates its wafer factory in Manassas, where it employs 1,650 people directly, and several hundred others through vendor contracts. In December 2018, Micron began a $3 billion-dollar expansion project at the Manassas site, and it's expected to create 1,100 jobs by 2030. Other major employers include Lockheed Martin and the Novant Prince William Health System. In 2019 High Purity Systems, a locally based high-tech contracting company, announced plans to invest $8.5 million in new facilities to triple production capability, marking the continued expansion of high-tech firms in the area.
The Manassas Regional Airport has 26 businesses operating out of the airport property. There are 415 based airplanes and two fixed-base operators, APP Jet Center and Dulles Aviation.
11% of people working in Manassas live in the city, while 89% commute in. 36% commute from Prince William County and 18% commute from Fairfax. Additionally 16,700 people commute from Manassas to the surrounding areas. In 2016, 3.3% of Manassas residents were unemployed.
In 2017 the city created new "streetscape standards" and announced plans for the Mathis Avenue Streetscape Project, aimed at developing Mathis Avenue from Sudley Road to Liberia Avenue into a more pedestrian-friendly, walkable area with significantly improved traffic congestion. The plan is estimated to cost the city $7.3 million and to be completed by 2026.

Arts and culture

First Friday festivals occur on the first Friday of every month, when the city showcases local art and organizes themed activities. The city museum opened in 1973 in preparation for the city's centennial and a renovation and expansion was completed in fall 2023.
The Patrick Henry No. 1105 is an Orange Lodge branch of the Orange Order. The lodge is governed by the Grand Orange Lodge of the United States. They are a Protestant fraternal organization that hold regular meetings focused on Orange heritage and history.

Parks and recreation

The City’s park system contains 260 acres of parkland with trails, playgrounds, fields, and activities.
The City operates 44 acres of playgrounds and recreational facilities
though a shared use agreement with the
City School Board. The City owns eight historic properties and operates the Manassas Museum.
  • Stonewall Park & Pool
  • Annaburg Historic Site
  • Liberia House Historic Site
  • Cannon Branch Fort
  • Baldwin Park
  • Dean Park

    Government

Manassas has a council-manager system of government. As of February 2025 the city manager is Steve Burke; the mayor is Michelle Davis-Younger; and the vice mayor is Mark Wolfe.

Presidential election results

From 1976 to 2004, Manassas voted for the Republican nominee, and since 2008 Manassas has voted for the Democratic nominee, which follows a pattern similar to its larger neighbor Prince William.

Education

The City of Manassas is served by the Manassas City Public Schools. There are five elementary schools in Manassas, two intermediate schools, a middle school, and a high school. In 2006, Mayfield Intermediate School opened, serving students in fifth and sixth grade. Due to growth, Baldwin Intermediate School opened in September 2017, also serving 5th and 6th graders.
Some schools in the Prince William County Public Schools district have Manassas addresses, though they are located, and serve areas, outside the Manassas city limits. An exception is Pennington Traditional School, which despite being within city limits, serves students living in Prince William County.
Seton School, a private Roman Catholic junior and senior high school affiliated with the Diocese of Arlington, provides Catholic education from its Manassas location. The All Saints Catholic School at the All Saints Parish provides Catholic Education from pre-K through 8th grade. The All Saints Catholic School was a Presidential Blue Ribbon Award winner in 2009.
Also in the vicinity of Manassas are branch campuses of American Public University System, George Mason University, Northern Virginia Community College, ECPI College of Technology and Strayer University. Though some of these are just outside the city limits in Prince William County, NVCC and Strayer call these branches their Manassas Campuses.
Public schools in Manassas:
  • Baldwin Elementary School
  • Jennie Dean Elementary School
  • Richard C. Haydon Elementary School
  • George C. Round Elementary School
  • Weems Elementary School
  • Baldwin Intermediate School
  • Mayfield Intermediate School
  • Grace E. Metz Middle School
  • Osbourn High School